§ Order for Second Reading read.
§ Motion made, and Question proposed. "That the Bill be now read a second time."
§ Mr. BOOTHThis is a Bill which in its importance far transcends all the others, and I hope the hon. Member in charge will give us an indication of its object.
§ Mr. C. P. ALLENIn deference to the House, I always prepare a little speech, and out of consideration to the House, I never make it, unless I am obliged. This Trust was founded in 1691, and was partly for education. Under the original trust, the income of certain lands in Lancashire was to be divided amongst four poor Bachelors of Arts in the College of Brasenose, in order to induce them to stay on an extra three years, for the full master's course of seven years. In the 18th century, the income had grown far too large 2465 to be absorbed in this way. The patrons of the Exhibitions—three Lancashire clergy and the trustees—in 1770–1795 obtained power, by private Acts, to devote the surplus revenues to the purchase and augmentation of livings to be given to Hulme Exhibitions. £135,000 was thus spent on twenty-eight livings. In 1881, under the Endowed Schools Act, a subsequent surplus was devoted to education, in connection with Brasenose, Owen's College, and certain other schools, under a representative body of trustees. The livings, however, were left under the original trustees, a self-appointed body. The trustees now find that they cannot get sufficient applicants for the livings from amongst the Hulme Exhibitioners, and the livings, therefore, lapse to the Bishop of Manchester. Under these circumstances, the trustees have applied to the Commissioners for assistance. A scheme has now been arranged, after considerable negotiation, and the following plan has been elaborated. The trustees are to dispose of thirteen livings, all under £300 a year. The proceeds are to go—one-third to augment remaining livings, one-third to educational purposes in connection with Brasenose College, and one-third to educational matters in connection with Lancashire. There is a further accumulation of £8,600, in Consols, and, of this, £4,600 is to be sold, and applied as the proceeds of the livings, the remainder will be left for expenses. Under the Bill, the livings retained will be available—(1) for the Hulme Exhibitioners at Brasenose; (2) for any Bachelor of Arts of Brasenose, and (3) for any Bachelor of Arts at Oxford. After considerable negotiation, there is no opposition left to the Bill.
§ Mr. KINGThis is a most important Bill, and I would call the attention of the House to one feature of it, which ought not to pass, at this time of the morning, without notice. The Bill deals with what was very frequent in the eighteenth century, namely, the perversion of an educational trust to ecclesiastical purposes. The Church of England, I am sorry to say, tried to get, and subsequently did grab, for ecclesiastical purposes, large funds which had been devoted, only a few years previously, by pious donors to educational purposes solely. I am extremely sorry that under the circumstances of this Bill the whole of the funds have not been taken back into educational purposes. They ought, after a period of 100 years, to set 2466 before them the real original ideas of the fund, and to sell the whole of its revenues. They are only selling the poor livings; it would have been far better if they had sold the rich ones. As a matter of fact, the livings are all very nearly £300 a year. I could read them, I have got them with me, but the House will take my word for it, that this is a very poor piece of reform. I hope the next time the Charity Commissioner comes forward with a Bill he will tell us the defects of the measure, and will rise to his full authority. With these words I commend the Bill, poor as it is, and halting as it is, to the House.
Bill read a second time, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House for To-morrow.